Battery hand lamp



Aug. 23, 1932. R. A. STEVENSON BATTERY HAND LAMP Inventor FIRE Filed Nov. 11. 1950 (QR/V 13 13 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 ROBERT A. STEVENSON, or LANCASTER, orrro BATTERY HAND LAMP v Application filed November 11, 1930. Serial No. 494,847.

y invention relates to battery hand lamps.

In the usual battery hand lamps having two dry cells positioned side by side the positive electrode of one dry cell is connected with the negative electrode of the other dry cell either y soldering a connection between the electrodes or by providing some other electrical connection betweenthe cells. There is danger of such connections becoming broken or separated. Also when there is some connection between the cells there is more danger of a short circuit or a leakage of the electricity than if the dry cells are electrically isolated as in my invention. One object. of this invention is to provide a battery hand lamp in which the dr" cells are normally electrically isolated, it eing. um necessary when constructing it to make any permanent electrical connection between the dry cells.

7 Another object is to provide a battery hand lamp in Which wrapping and soldering Wlll be reduced to a minimum and in which no.

sealing wax will be necessary except the usual amount in the top of each dry cell.

Another object is to provide a novel method of mounting a lamp bulb on a battery.

Further objectsand advantages will ap pear in the description.

Certain features of this invention are shown in my co-pending application No. 458,394,filed May 31,193 I Referring to the drawing in which like nu merals refer to like parts, igure lis a cross {5 sectional View of my invention with parts in elevation. F igure2 is an edge view. Fi

ure 3 is a top view with the lampobulb re= moved. y y In Figure 1 two dry cells 1 and 2 areara0 ranged side by side with cell 1 in reversed position with relation to cell 2. An insulat ing case or covering 3 for the cells may be made of cardboard or other insulating mate" rial. This case extends above the top of the '5 cells to provide a combined reflect-or and guard for the lamp. The inside vofthe por tion extending above the cells is preferably painted white or provided with some reflect in material. H y lamped or soldered to the "zinc can or negative electrode of the cell 1 near the top of the device is a metal lamp holder and re= fiector '4. It consists of a strip of metal pro vided with a threaded hole or socket 5 for a lamp bulb 6 so that when the lamp bulb is screwed into the socket the inner terminal? of the lamp bulb will be held in contact with the'carbon electrode cap 8 of cell 2. Part of the lamp holder 4 is bent upward to form a reflector for the lamp bulb. p

The" cell 2 is provided with an insulating cap 9 made of paper or the like placed over the top of the cell and extending down the sides a short distance. A hole in the center of this cap permits the carbon electrode cap 8 to make contact with the inner terminal 7 of the lamp bulb. A second insulating cap 10 is provided on the bottom of the cell 2 to insulate the bottom and a portion of the sides. These insulating caps insulate the cells 1 and 2 from each other but if desired a strip of paper may also be used between them.

Tothe carbon electrode cap 11 of cell 1 is clamped or soldered a spring metal contact element 12 which extends along the bottom of the battery hand lamp and provides a bottom therefor. This contact element 12 is bent to extend up the side of cell 2' and be: tween the covering 3 and the insulating c'a'ps so 9 and 10. At the upper end of the contact element 12 is a threaded hole into which a thumb screw 13 is adapted to be screwed. The thumb screw 13 passes on through the insulating cap 9 and makes contact with the zinc electrode of the cell 2 and thus closes a circuit through the lamp. Unscrewing the thumb. screw 13 breaks the contact.

Intermittent operation of the lamp may be p secured by pressing on the covering 3 and against the contact element 12 on the edge of the battery hand lamp and between the two'insulatin caps 9 and 10 to bring the contact element 12 intocontact' with the Y electrode of cell 2. The sprin 'ine'ss of the contact element 12 will cause it to spring. back and away from the cell 2 when the pressure is released thus breaking the contact. Since pressure must be applied at a particular place on the contact element to W) mark operate it I prefer to place an indicating 14: on the outside of the covering 3 as shown in Figure 2.

It is seen that accidental pressure on the edge of the hand lamp where these two switches are located will not operate them for pressure on the thumb screw will not force it into contact with .the cell 2 because of the insulating cap 9 nor will pressure on the contact element 12 at any other place than that indicated by the mark 14 .causeit to touch I the cell 2 and close the circuit. The screwalso protects the contact elementfrom accidental pressure since it extends out from the edge of the hand lamp. The operator may useeither theintermittent switch or the continuous switch as preferred since they are separate in operation and should anything aflfe'ctthe operation of one the other may be "used.

? It is seen that by my arrangement when there is no lamp bulb in the holder 4 that the two cells areelectrically isolated, there being no connection between them and therefore the voltage between the cells is reduced. The accidental contact of the lampholder 1 with the carbonelectrode of'cell 2 will not short circuitthe cells unless one of the switches is operated at the same time. Also without the lamp bulb in place either switch may be operated without short circuitingthe cells. 2 a If desired the operator may remove and discard thethumb screw if he does not care to have it on the side of the handlamp and its removal will not disfigure the appearance of the hand lamp or affect the operation of the intermittent switch. In some cases Imay prefer-"to placefthe humb screw on th' bottom of the hand lamp instead of" on the side and have it touch the bottom ofcell 2, and if desired I ma use a metal casing around the outside 0 this battery hand lamp to add to its durability and appearance. Furthermore it is understood that various other changes may be made in the position of the switches'and in the size, shape and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subj oined claims. Having thus described my inventionfI claim:

1. A battery hand lamp comprising two electrically isolated dry cells having positive and negative electrodes, lamp holding means attached" to one electrode of one dry cell for holdingalamp bulb'in contact withoneelecwith the positive electrode of the other dry cell, circuit closing means comprising a single strip of metal attached to the positive electrode of the firstmentioned dry cell whereby said strip may be brought into intermittent contact with the negative electrode'of the sec- .ondmentioned dry .cell when manual pressure is exerted upon a certain portion of the said strip ofmetal.

: 3. battery hand lamp including electrically isolated dry cells having positive and negative electrodes, lamp holding means attached to one electrodeiot one dry cell for holdinga lampbulbincontact with one electrode of another dry vcell, circuit closing means for closing a circuit between the dry cells andthe lamp, said circuit closing means including a contact element attached to one electrode of one dry cell .and adapted to be brought into electrical contact with another electrode of another dry cell. i A

' 1. A battery hand lamp including two electrically isolated dry cells having positive and negative electrodes, lamp holding means attached to one electrode of one dry cell for holdinga lamp bulb in contact with one electrode of another dry cell, circuit closing means for closing a circuit between the dry cellsand the lamp, said circuit closing means including a contact element attached .to one electrode of one dry cell; and adapted to be brought into both intermittent and continuous electrical contact. with another electrode of anotherdrycell.

5. A battery'hand lamp including twoelectrically isolated dry cells each having a positive and a negative electrode, lamp holding means attached to-one electrode of'one dry cell for holding a'lamp bulb in contact with one electrode of another dry cell, a reflector for the lamp bulb, circuit closing means for closing a circuit between the dry cells and the lamp, said means including a contact element attached to one electrode of one drycell and adapted to be brought intoelectrical contact with another electrode of another dry cell.

6. A battery hand lamp includingtwo electrically isolated dry cellseach having a positive and a negative electrode, lamp holding means attached to .one electrode of one dry cell for holding a lamp bulb in contact with one electrode of another'dry cell, circuit clos-,

ing means for closinga circuit between the dry cells and. the lamp, said means including a contactele'ment attached tov one electrode of'one dry cell and adapted to be brought into intermittent contact with another electrode of another dryjcell, and' a thumb screw at- 3 tached tothe contact element and adapted to bescrewed into direct contact with one electrode' of one dry cell to provide a continuous circuit through the lamp. a 7. A battery hand lamp comprising electrically isolated dry cells having positive and negative electrodes, lampholding means attached j to one electrode of one dry cell for holding a lampbulb in contact with one electrode ofanotherdry cell, circuit closing 

